Demon Lord V - God Realm (19 page)

"Why not do it
yourself?"

"I can't!"

"Then that is
just too bad, is it not?"

Frendar
stamped his foot. "That woman, Kimi, she's telling my people to
leave me."

"No, she is
asking them if they want to, and because you are so nasty to them,
they will."

"I won't let
them!" Frendar turned his glare upon Sarrin, and she cowered. "I'll
take away their legs and make them crawl on their bellies!"

Bane sat up
and swung his legs off the bed, drawing the child's attention to
him. "Why not come with us, Frendar? We will find a nice domain
where you can be happy."

"I like it
here!"

"I think
not."

"I do!"

Bane shook his
head. "It will get dark here one day. The fire pillars will
eventually die, and you fear the dark."

"No they
won't!"

"Yes, they
will. Nothing in the God Realm stays the same forever." Bane had no
idea if that was true, but it was a fair guess.

"My brother
won't let them die!"

"Your
brother?"

Frendar
scowled at Bane. "Morvanor."

Sarrin gasped
in horror and surprise, but if Bane was shocked, he hid it well. He
nodded. "I see. Did Morvanor kill Tyrashin?"

"No, that was
the nasty man."

"So when you
ran away, Morvanor followed you here."

Frendar's
lower lip protruded further. "The bad man chased Morvanor too. Why
did you make the bad spell?"

"Because I do
not want you to hear what we say."

"Why not?"

"Because it is
not your business."

"I want to
hear!" Frendar stamped his foot again, then rose into the air and
drifted closer to Bane. The group retreated, Artan helping Ethra,
who gaped at the child god.

"That is
unfortunate for you," Bane said, "since I do not wish you to, so I
will not allow it."

"You're just a
blue god!" A cunning glint entered Frendar's eyes. "Take it off, or
I'll hurt your people."

Bane frowned,
then inclined his head. "Very well, I shall take it off."

"Now!"

The Demon Lord
made a negligent gesture and murmured a word.

Frendar looked
smug. "If you put it on again, I'll give her horns!" He pointed at
Sarrin, who cringed, and Juvo stepped in front of her.

"I will not
put it on again." Bane held out his hand. "Let us be friends."

Frendar eyed
the proffered hand. "No." He giggled and vanished.

Sarrin sagged,
her legs shaking, and Juvo helped her over to the chair. Bane sat
with his head bowed, leaning on his good arm and looking
pensive.

"What do we do
now?" Mithran demanded.

"We
leave."

"If Morvanor
is Frendar's brother, might he not enlist his aid to stop us?"

Bane sighed.
"I do not know."

"How is it
possible for a light god to have a dark god for a brother?" Sarrin
murmured, shaking her head.

"He is a
lesser light god. He was once a human, as was Morvanor. Tyrashin
raised Frendar up, but Morvanor made himself a dark god after he
died. Frendar must be many centuries old."

Grem cursed.
"This just keeps getting worse."

Bane lay back,
and the others returned to their respective resting places, looking
downcast.

Kayos parried
a bolt of dark power, his shield flashing blue. Torvaran was
weakening again, the battle they had fought for so many domain days
depleting his stores. The vast amount of shadows he had brought
into the area had destabilised it, and dark, lightning shot clouds
roiled overhead. As the region darkened, Torvaran was able to
Gather from the shadows he had expended, although a lot of it had
dispersed beyond his reach. It enabled him to fight for longer
before he was forced to travel to the dark region to Gather more,
however.

The five
remaining fire demons and one earth demon stood to one side,
awaiting new orders. Torvaran's enjoyment of the battle had not yet
waned, and he still wore a gleeful grin. The Grey God spun and
leapt, parried and ducked, shining shields occasionally shooting up
from the ground to block Torvaran's attempts to charge in and grab
him.

Sarrin looked
up as Kimi appeared in the doorway, her feline face twisted with
anguish and despair. She clung to the wall, hopping on one leg, the
other dragging. Sarrin rose and went over to her, helping her to
the chair. The rest of the group were asleep, but the soft sounds
woke Artan and Grem, who sat up and stared at Kimi, their
expressions gloomy. Her predicament required no explanation.

"He must help
me!" Kimi cried, clinging to Sarrin's arm. "Please, beg him to help
me!"

"Hush, child.
He is asleep, let him rest."

"Please!"

"He cannot!"
Sarrin snapped.

"But he's
-"

"Only a blue
god, while Frendar is a light god."

Kimi's eyes
overflowed. "I did as he asked, and My Lord punished me."

"What happened
to the people you asked?"

"They were
struck blind the instant they agreed, or their legs became useless,
like mine."

Sarrin shook
her head. "I am sorry, Kimi. It seems it was a mistake. Pray to
Frendar for forgiveness, perhaps he will restore your leg."

"But -"

"Hush. Be
careful what you say, Frendar is listening."

"He'll never
let us leave, will he?" Kimi sobbed.

"He has no
intention of it, no."

The cat woman
bowed her head and wept, and Sarrin patted her back in an effort to
comfort her. She glanced at Bane, who lay like a statue, only the
steady rise and fall of his chest showing that he was alive. How
long would they be trapped in this infernal place, the playthings
of a malicious child god, and why was Bane so reluctant to use the
dark power? He claimed to be weak, and certainly he was injured,
but it seemed to her that there was more to it than that. Kimi's
sobs gave way to shuddering gasps, and she crawled into the corner,
where she curled up like an injured cat. Sarrin asked Grem to stand
guard, and then lay down on his vacated bedding, drained by all the
stress.

When she woke,
the others ate another meal, and Artan passed her a plate piled
with succulent food. She picked at it without appetite and glanced
at Bane, who still appeared to be asleep. Hopefully the rest would
restore some of his strength, she mused. His reluctance to put an
end to this intolerable situation annoyed her. Her truant thoughts
dismayed her, and she berated herself for her disrespect. As a god,
he knew far better than any of them just what he faced here.

Ethra dropped
her plate and clutched her head, her face contorting with pain and
terror. A pair of sharp, twisted horns sprouted from her brow,
growing longer. She gripped the horns and screamed, her eyes wide.
Sarrin jumped up and ran to the bed.

"Lord, wake
up!" Sarrin shook Bane as Ethra's screams hammered at her ears, and
Artan's bellows mingled with them as he tried to get her to calm
down. Kimi cowered in her corner, her face buried in her hands; the
rest of the group stared at the hysterical girl.

The Demon
Lord's brows drew together above the bandages that covered his
eyes, and Sarrin stepped back, afraid he would lash out, thinking
himself under attack. Ethra's screams rang around the room, and
Bane sat up, turning his head towards the sound.

"What is going
on?"

"It is Ethra!"
Sarrin cried. "Frendar is changing her!"

Bane swore and
swung his legs off the bed, then stretched out his hand towards the
terrified girl. "Quiet."

Ethra gasped
and fell silent, her eyes wide and dazed.

Bane lowered
his hand. "Sleep."

The girl's
eyes closed, and she went limp in Artan's arms. Bane turned to
Sarrin. "Help me to dress."

Sarrin picked
up his shirt and eased the sleeve over his stone-sheathed arm.
"What are you going to do?"

"I grow weary
of this. He will keep tormenting us if we stay here. Diplomacy is
wasted on a spoilt child, and he is in league with his brother." He
glanced at the men. "Pack up, we are leaving."

"What if
Morvanor tries to stop us?"

"I hope he
does not. What did Frendar do to Ethra?"

"She... she
has horns." Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his tunic.

Bane's
nostrils flared, and as soon as she had done up the last button, he
bent to grope for his boots. Grem came over to help him, and Kimi
stared at Bane with wide, tear filled eyes. Sarrin tugged at his
tunic, straightened it and brushed away imaginary dust.

"Frendar
punished Kimi for speaking to the others, and now she has a lame
leg. Can you help her?"

"No. Only the
light power can undo what was done with it. I have had enough of
Frendar's childish games."

A soft skirl
of giggles came from the corner of the room, and everyone stared at
the spot. The men gathered up their few belongings, much of which
they had not unpacked, and stuffed it into the bags. Bane stood as
Grem finished lacing up his boots, and Sarrin clipped on his cloak.
Juvo put Ethra on the litter, placing the bags around her legs, and
the soldiers picked it up. Juvo shouldered more bags, and Sarrin
picked up a small bundle. Grem came over to the bed and scooped up
Mirra, then handed her to Mithran when he stepped forward. Artan
helped Kimi, and Sarrin placed Bane's hand on her shoulder.

She glanced up
at him. "Your weakness is not the only reason you do not want to
use your power, is it, Lord?"

He hesitated,
and then shook his head. "No."

She bit her
lip. "I am sorry for what we did to you."

"I know."

Artan led the
group out into the hall, Bane bringing up the rear. They negotiated
the stairs slowly, Bane feeling his way along the wall, Grem beside
him. When they reached the bottom, malformed people rose from the
chairs and shuffled towards them, crying out to Bane to take them
with him. He nodded, and they fell in behind him. The lame
supported each other and led the blind, carrying bundles of
possessions and supplies. Evidently word of Bane's offer had
spread, and those who wished to come had prepared for the journey,
despite the child god's punishment. As they approached the common
room doors, Tronak stepped from the shadows beside them, and Artan
drew his sword with a hiss of steel.

"Get out of
the way," he said.

"Frendar bids
you stay."

"I don't give
a damn what Frendar bids us, we're leaving."

"My lord will
not allow it."

Artan snorted.
"I'd like to see him try to stop us. He doesn't know who he's
dealing with."

"A mere blue
god, even a mortal one, cannot prevail against a light god."

"He's not..."
Artan's face became blank, and he glanced back at Bane. "Sorry, My
Lord."

"You lack for
nothing here, but out in the darkness there are many dangers."

"We'd rather
face them than stay here and be turned into monsters. Now get out
of the way or I'll cut you into little pieces."

Tronak stepped
back into the shadows, and Artan strode towards the doors, which
remained closed. The group ground to a halt, and Artan tried to
open the doors, but no matter how he strained and struggled, he
could not, even with Grem's help. Sarrin glanced up at Bane.

"The doors
will not open, Lord."

"Stand
aside."

All those in
front of him moved out of the way, and he raised his head. His
nostrils flared, and the doors shuddered. A chortle came from the
air beside the doors, and Bane's head turned towards the sound. He
raised his arm, and blue fire spat from his fingers to mantle a
child's form. Frendar gave a shriek of rage, and the fire died.
Bane faced the doors again, and once more they shuddered. His brows
drew together in a fierce frown, and he strode up to the doors, his
hands outstretched.

The Demon Lord
placed his palms upon them, and the doors flew open with a terrific
bang, spraying splintered wood into the street. A yelp of childish
rage came from nearby, and Sarrin glanced around. Artan marched
through the sagging doors, his hand on his sword hilt, scanning the
street for danger. Grem stopped beside Bane, his sword drawn.
Sarrin stepped in front of Bane and guided his hand to her
shoulder, then followed Artan, who set off at a brisk pace, heading
out of town.

Bane limped
beside Sarrin, stumbling on the stony ground, and she avoided
rougher areas. Strange beings emerged from the ramshackle houses to
watch them pass, and many joined the procession, helping crippled
comrades. They all resembled beasts, or some part of them was
transformed into that of a beast. They stumbled and fell as their
legs ceased to function, while others cried out in despair as their
sight faded. More and more were left behind to crawl in the dust
and plead for mercy. Sarrin glanced up at Bane's grim face.

"Can you not
help them, Lord?"

"The only way
to free them from Frendar's power is to kill him."

She shivered.
"To kill a light god is sacrilege."

"Yes."

Sarrin hunched
her shoulders as the crippled people's pitiful cries followed them
down the street. By the time they reached the last of the
dilapidated houses, only their group could still walk. Artan
collapsed with a grunt of surprise, taking Kimi down with him. She
wailed in despair, and he swore, thumping his useless legs with a
furious fist.

Sarrin
stopped, and Bane turned his head towards her. "What is it?"

"Frendar has
crippled Artan."

A soldier
yelped and sank down, tipping Ethra from the litter. Juvo cursed
and fell to his knees. Sarrin gasped, grabbing Bane as her legs
buckled. He staggered, his sprained ankle protesting, and she
released him. Mithran sank to his knees and lowered Mirra to the
ground; Grem staggered with a curse and fell to one knee in the
dust.